“I am making the brave decision to keep going anyway.”—Morgan Harper Nichols

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Morgan Harper Nichols (@morganharpernichols)

#REALTALK

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Elizabeth Su✨ (@heyelizabethsu)

• Never Not Learning Self-Compassion: Oy vey, has this month been a doozy or what? There were many times when I caught myself spiraling into negative self-talk, feeling like a complete imposter and worthless piece of sh*t. Even as someone who studies perfectionism, I still find myself under the illusion that perfection exists. Worse, I convince myself that there’s a perfect way to talk about perfectionism—it gets very meta!

A few weeks ago, after hitting one of my biggest career milestones—my first appearance on a celebrity podcast!—my nervous excitement quickly turned into nasty self-criticism. Feeling 100 percent certain I bombed the interview, I looked to Andrew, my hubs, for reassurance.

“You think I did ok, right?” I asked.

“Love,” he laughed, “I have no idea, I wasn’t there.”

Then, something beautiful happened. I said, “Well, you know what? Even if I was terrible, I still did it, and I’m proud of myself for taking the leap.”

It got me thinking: There’s nothing fancy to practicing self-compassion. It’s simply remembering that mistakes are fine, failure is ok, and doing new things is scary for everyone.

• Feeling the Feels: The book querying process has been really confronting. I’ve never experienced so much rejection in my life. People keep telling me, “buck up” or “get thicker skin,” which ends up just making me feel worse. I end up beating myself up for feeling sad on top of beating myself up for not feeling seen, understood, or valued.

I wrote a love letter to myself that I hope resonates with you, too:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Elizabeth Su✨ (@heyelizabethsu)

Slowing Down: Tai Chi is my new favorite self-care practice. Let me tell you, though, I had NO IDEA how hard it would be to move so slow. I kid you not, all we do is stand still, raise our hands a few times, maybe a leg here or there, and yet for 75 percent of the class, I’m either doubled-over from nausea or straight up sitting on the ground because I’m so dizzy. My body is physically uncomfortable with slowing down. Part of me wants to say, screw it, I’ll just go on a run instead. The other part knows this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

WARM AND FUZZIES

Tiny Spells Newsletter

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ✨🔮 Tiny Spells 🔮✨ (@xtinyspellsx)

I came across a fab newsletter that I couldn’t wait to tell you about! Tiny Spells is a twice-weekly witchy self-care email with activities and goals to help you to look after you. Featuring a personal note from Tiny Spells founder and writer Joan, the newsletter also includes three simple tasks, intentions or plans you can follow each day. I hope you enjoy all the witchiness as much as I do!

OBSESSION OF THE WEEK

8 Plant Growing Time Lapses

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Boxlapse (@boxlapsefilms)

After a terrible day, my dear friend sent this sweet video. Watching these little plants grow BLEW MY MIND and reminded me how amazing it is to be alive. Take a peek and hit reply with your fave plant! Mine’s definitely a tie between the beans and sunflower—but also, the peppers, which might actually be the best.

MONTHLY HAPPENINGS: FEATURES + EVENTS

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Elizabeth Su✨ (@heyelizabethsu)

• Overachiever Magazine January Issue: Interview
• Tiny Spells Newsletter: 5 Questions with Elizabeth Su
• Alex Aiono: Let’s Get Into It Podcast: Instagram Isn’t Real with MAX and Elizabeth Su
• Tina Lifford: Instagram Live

Wishing you a wonderful first month of spring,

XO,

Elizabeth Su